The Oldest Diseases of World Quiz

While most of us want to know what our daily life would look like in ancient times, a few of us also can't help but wonder what our death would look like too. Take this quiz to find out all the horrible diseases you might've expired from, and discover which ones you still could come down with today!

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Question 1 of 30

What is the study of ancient diseases called?

paleopathology

It includes the study of ancient diseases in animals and humans.

anthropathology

paleopolity

Question 2 of 30

How do paleopathologists primarily study ancient diseases?

bacteria

tissue

skeletons

That includes dental artifacts as well.

Question 3 of 30

As Hannibal's army marched through the Alps, what ancient disease might've infected more and more troops as downstream water become more and more infected?

malaria

cholera

Think about it: the sources for drinking water and environment became more and more polluted for those soldiers in the back of the ranks.

the flu

Question 4 of 30

What disease appears to be the oldest human-specific infection?

caries

malaria

leprosy

If some research hypothesis are correct, leprosy could be millions years old.

Question 5 of 30

What is the oldest case of leprosy paleopathologists have found?

2,000 years old

4,000 years old

A 4,000-year-old leper skeleton was found in India in 2006.

3,000 years old

Question 6 of 30

Leprosy:

is extremely contagious

causes limbs to fall off

has a very long incubation time

Carriers can have leprosy for years before showing symptoms -- but it's not very contagious and doesn't cause limbs to detach.

Question 7 of 30

What can leprosy look like?

snake skin

psoriasis

Those with psoriasis were sometimes brought to leper colonies, where they would then become infected.

black and blue bruises

Question 8 of 30

What disease decimated the population of Athens around 430 B.CE.?

typhoid

By some estimates, a third of the population died from typhoid.

HIV

dengue

Question 9 of 30

What is the actual bacterium that causes typhoid?

clostridium difficile

E coli

Salmonella enterica

The salmonella bacteria matched the bacterium to ancient remains from the Athens plague.

Question 10 of 30

Chicken pox was seen in ancient civilizations, but was often confused for what?

eczema

acne

smallpox

Chicken pox was considered a mild form of smallpox.

Question 11 of 30

Where do some scholars think smallpox got its start?

the indigenous population of what is know Oklahoma

Spain

Mesopotamia

5th millennium B.C.E. Mesopotamia, to be specific

Question 12 of 30

How many deaths is smallpox responsible for in the 20th century alone?

1 million

300-500 million

Seriously, you don't want to get smallpox.

100 million

Question 13 of 30

In 2300 B.C.E., there are records of fining dog owners for their animals spreading what disease?